Something That You Said
by LorelaiSquared
Summary: *Note the ratings change. A/U Luke never went to the renaissance fair. Instead, he goes over to Lorelai's house as originally planned but both of them are a bit nervous about the new developments in their relationship. Based on a challenge by Alleycat86
1. Turned Me From The Inside Out

**Something That You Said**

_**A/N: **__This story is in response to the following challenge by __**Alleycat86**__**: **__Takes place after Luke and Lorelai talk on the phone about their kiss. Luke never gets a phone call about Liz and TJ. Instead Luke goes over to Lorelai's house like originally planned. Luke and Lorelai are both nervous with the new development in their relationship. They know they want to give this is a shot, but they can't help but wonder how the transition from friends to something more will go. Can they overcome their fears and let this be a great thing or will the jitters get the best of them? _

_At the moment there are 3 chapters planned. I hope to post them fairly quickly. _

_Special thanks to __**Pink Hammer**__for the brainstorming session that lead to the POV in this story._

_As always, hugs and thank you's to the incredible __**Jewels12**_ _who's excitement about this story was highly contagious. Thanks for yet another spectacular beta job._

_The titles of the story and chapters are borrowed lyrics from the __**Bangles. **_

**Chapter 1: Turned Me From The Inside Out**

I couldn't think. The inn was too crowded and the bustle in the kitchen was too loud. Between that and Davey crying, I couldn't hear a thing that Luke was saying. I looked around frantically, trying to find a quiet place in the immediate vicinity. At that moment, nothing was more important to me than talking to Luke and clarifying what had happened last night and what it meant.

The only place I could think of was the closet in the hallway, so I wove my way through the throng of worker bees. I closed the door behind me before speaking into the cell phone that I held to my ear. "I'm good."

"I'm good, too." Luke's voice was calm and soothing. The jumble of emotions that I'd been feeling since talking to Sookie earlier were finally beginning to dissipate.

"Good!" I said brightly. I wanted to talk about last night but I wasn't sure how to start.

Luke finally broke the awkward silence, "So...you wanted to talk?"

I did, I just wasn't sure what to say. I took a deep breath and blurted, "Yeah. I just realized that, uh, you know, when I got back last night, I was, um, a little distracted." I slid to the floor, tucking my knees against my chest and groaned softly as I noticed Pau-Pau lying next to me, chewing on Taylor's missing shoe. I was so going to have to kill Michel...later.

"Hey, no big deal." I swear I could hear him shrugging.

"Uh, no, no, it really was a big deal. I just, um --" I just, what? How was I supposed to tell him what I was thinking when I could barely figure it out myself.

"Seriously, you don't need to --" I could hear the resignation in his voice. Oh, crap, he was probably thinking that I wasn't interested in him, that I was about the blow him off.

I knew we needed to talk about what happened last night and it didn't sound like Luke was going to bring it up, so I did it. I took the leap. "We kissed." Luke was silent for a long time and my brain started to whir. What if he regrets kissing me? Maybe _he's_ not interested in me and he's about the blow _me_ off. Mind reading really would have been a great skill to have at this moment. I had to know what he was thinking. "You and me, we kissed?"

"I remember." He sounded happy. Okay, so maybe he is interested in me after all. I felt a flutter stirring in my chest at the thought and tried to ignore it.

"And it was...unexpected." Unexpected? There's the understatement of the year. I mean, this wasn't the first time I'd felt drawn to Luke, but it had always been near touches, and almost kisses and distant glances. This was the first time anything real had ever happened and our whole relationship had shifted. I was still processing the enormity of it.

"Lorelai, relax. I'm fine if you want to just forget it ever happened, really." There was a note of uncertainty in his voice.

'Forget it ever happened?' What? Was he nuts? Why would I want to forget the best kiss I'd ever experienced in my life? And the fact that the kiss was with Luke, one of my best friends, and the one man I trusted more than anyone in the world, made the kiss even more memorable. I wasn't sure what it all meant to me yet, but forgetting about it was just not an option. "No, I don't want to forget it ever happened. It was a great kiss."

"Yeah?" The hope was back in his voice and it made me smile.

"If one of us had been a frog, it would have had some seriously impressive consequences." I closed my eyes and brushed my fingers over my lips, remembering the kiss and what it had felt like to have his lips grazing mine last night. His lips were softer than I had imagined they would be, and he'd kissed me with such passion it had taken my breath away. I could have kissed those lips all night. Damn Kirk and his night terrors.

My thoughts were interrupted by Luke's voice as he said, "Okay."

Now what? We kissed, and we obviously both liked it but what did it mean? Were we dating now? Were we still just friends? I was impatient to know what was on his mind. "So, what do you think?" I blurted.

Luke spoke softly, "I think I'm really relieved you feel that way." My heart was pounding in my chest. Was this actually happening?

"So you concur?" I was starting to feel giddy. Giddy and light headed.

"Dear God, yes." I couldn't seem to stop myself from grinning; he sounded so, so... Lukish.

"Good. So, then, I guess we'll discuss this later," I told him, silently adding, 'And maybe by then I'll be able to sort out this giant tangle of emotions I'm feeling right now,'

"Tonight?" Luke asked confidently.

So soon? Was I ready for this? I touched my lips again and smiled. "Tonight."

"Okay. Thanks for the call."

I wanted to laugh at his sudden businesslike tone, but instead I matched it. "Well, my pleasure." I heard a gentle click as Luke hung up and the dial tone buzzed in my ear for several seconds.

I closed my cell phone, feeling dazed and a little overwhelmed. _I have a date... with Luke...__**tonight**__._ The thought made me giddy and nauseous at the same time. Maybe I could drag Rory away and she could help me sort this out.

I heard a crash and a yelp coming from the dining room and I sighed. I'd have to find time to be pensive later. At the moment, duty called. I glanced down at the dog as I got up. "You better finish that whole thing, Pau-Pau."

_Yup, Michel is going to get an earful from me today._ I thought as I left the closet. I was looking forward to it.

xxxxx

It was almost lunch by the time I managed to get some time to myself. I pried Rory away from the clutches of Babette and Miss Patty and we slipped into my office, narrowly avoiding a confrontation with Michel who was still sulking from the lecture I'd given him earlier.

Rory closed the door to the office and settled into my desk chair as I began to pace. My mind was moving at record breaking speed and I was anxious to calm the rabble.

"Mom, what is this all about?" Rory asked, giving me a curious look.

I stopped pacing. "I kissed Luke." I watched her, trying to gage her reaction.

Rory's eyes widened for a moment. "You kissed Luke?"

"Well, actually he kissed me first, and then I kissed him and then we were both doing the kissing, and then Kirk and the naked and the roses and the band-aids and the chaos happened."

"I hope Kirk is the only naked you're referring to."

I shuddered as the image of Kirk's naked form involuntarily filled my brain. "Honey, I hope for your sake you never have to see Kirk naked."

Rory covered her eyes. "I don't even want to imagine it. I just meant I hope that you and Luke remained fully clothed." She spread her fingers and peeked at me from between them. "And if you didn't I don't want to know about it."

I laughed. I couldn't help it. The half disgusted, half terrified expression on her face was priceless. "All we did was kiss, hon."

"Okay. Good." Rory moved her hand away from her face. "So what does this mean? Are you and Luke officially dating? Are you a couple? Is he your boyfriend now?"

I swear my heart stopped for a moment. I didn't know the answer to any of those questions. Heck, I didn't even know what I WANTED the answer to any of those questions to be. Was I ready for this? A relationship... with _Luke_? I slumped into the nearest chair. "I don't know."

"But you kissed. And yesterday you told me that you thought you were dating Luke. And now you don't know?"

I shook my head. "We haven't really had a chance to talk about it much. I mean, there's definitely an attraction there, but as for what it means... I honestly don't know."

"Okay, so what do you want it to mean?" Boy, my kid sure had a knack for asking the questions I couldn't answer.

"I'm not sure. I just broke up with Jason. And the ink from Luke's divorce to Nicole is barely dry. Neither of us is very good at this." My thoughts were getting clearer. I knew that talking to Rory would help.

"Good at what?" Rory asked me pointedly.

"Dating, coupley stuff, you know, relationships." I cringed at the truth ringing in those words. I really was a train wreck when it came to relationships. Christopher was a disaster from the start; he was always getting me into trouble. I'm sure that if I hadn't become pregnant, I probably wouldn't have seen him at all past high school. Not that I saw him much anyway. Max had been a great guy, but he didn't 'get' me, and I never really gave him a chance to. As for Jason, I wasn't even sure why I'd been with him in the first place. Well okay, I had to admit, part of the appeal of Jason had been the knowledge that my parents would be pissed about it. He was really only a passing ship in the night; another tool in the constant war between me and Mr. and Mrs. Uppity.

Rory's high-pitched, squeaky voice interrupted my self-flagellation. "But you've never dated anyone like Luke before. Maybe you'll be good at it," she suggested.

She might have had a point. I already spent more time with Luke than I did with any of the other men in my life. He was my closest friend, next to Sookie. But that was another concern. "Or maybe I'll destroy one of the best friendships I've got."

My daughter stood up and strode to the front of my desk, leaning against it as she folded her arms and looked at me sternly. "You know what I think?"

I tried to read her mind like I'd tried to read Luke's earlier, and again, crickets. Nuts. I sighed. "You've got your serious face on. What do you think?"

"I think you're scared. I think you like Luke, a lot, and have for a long time, but you wouldn't admit it, not even to yourself. I think a part of you has been waiting for this to happen, that you've unconsciously sabotaged your other relationships because the guys you were with weren't Luke. I think you know that he could make you happy and it terrifies you. You've known each other a long time, you love to banter with him and drive him crazy and he loves to bug you about your coffee and grease intake. And yes, you risk losing that if you take this further, but if you _don't_ try, you risk losing out on what could be the best relationship of your life. Is that want you want?"

I felt my jaw drop. How was it not hitting the floor? Where had all of that come from? And damn, I hated the fact that she was right. I was scared, I liked Luke, but I was afraid to take the next step and possibly end up happy. How screwed up was that? "No. That's not what I want," I whispered at last.

Rory's face lit up. "You know what you need, Missy?" She grabbed a pen and a pad of paper on my desk and drew a line down the middle. "You need to make a pro/con list." She handed me the list. "Start writing."

"You really think it will help?" I asked as I accepted the list.

Rory looked at me, clearly aghast. "When did you lose faith in the pro/con list? It is a time honoured Gilmore girl decision making tool. The pro/con list is not to be taken lightly, my friend."

I sighed again. The pro/con list had never led us astray before. I was just worried about what it might reveal. "You're right. Hand me a pen."

"That's my girl," Rory said fondly.

I took the pen she offered and stared at the pad in front of me. I wrote pro on one side of the line and con on the other. I stared at the two columns and began to click the pen with my thumb as I thought about what to write.

Rory frowned at me and grabbed the list from my hand. Apparently I was being too slow, because she took another pen from my desk and began to write while she spoke aloud. "Pro: Luke is a great guy."

She eyed me expectantly and I groaned. "Con: If things don't work out I could lose a great friend."

Rory nodded and wrote it down. "Keep going."

This wasn't as hard as I'd thought it would be. I could do this. "Pro: He's an amazing kisser."

I giggled as Rory scrunched up her face. "Gross. I'm not writing that." She thrust the list at me and headed for the exit. "I think you should do the rest on your own, anyway. I'll leave you to your thoughts. Good luck, Mom."

"Thank you, hon. I'll see you later." I waved at her retreating form and wrote 'amazing kisser' in the pro column.

Over the next ten minutes or so, I slowly added to the list. When I was done, I stared at it, trying to absorb what it was telling me. Under cons I had five points: If things don't work out I could lose a great friend; he's recently divorced; I have a bad track record; I could get hurt, the town would go nuts – can I handle that? Can Luke? The pro column was longer: Luke is a great guy; he's an amazing kisser; he does so much for me; I can talk to him so easily; he makes me laugh/smile; I trust him; he 'gets' me; he made me a Chuppah; I was jealous when he married Nicole; he makes the best cheeseburgers in the universe; I'd never want for coffee; he loves my kid; he's handy (dirty!) – can fix things; great ass; he can WALTZ!!!!!

I found myself fixated on the cons as Rory's words played back to me in my head: _ I think a part of you has been waiting for this to happen, that you've unconsciously sabotaged your other relationships because the guys you were with weren't Luke._ Was she right? Did I suck at relationships because I'd been waiting for Luke all these years? I rubbed my temples. I'd once accused Christopher of holding me back, of being the reason I couldn't seem to find a healthy relationship. Now I could see how very wrong I'd been. It had been Luke. It had always been Luke. In fact, I never would have dated Jason if Luke hadn't married Nicole. The hurt that I'd suppressed when he'd first told me about his sudden marriage bubbled to the surface. He'd broken my heart a little that day I realized. Sure, we'd both dated other people, but never once had either of us made it a permanent situation. Okay, well there _had_ been my engagement to Max. But I hadn't followed through with it. And there again I could see Luke as the root of it all. The standoff he'd had with Max had been what led to our fight and Max's impromptu proposal. I thought of all the times I'd felt drawn to Luke. All the little moments between us that had slowly accumulated over the years, smouldering and morphing into our current situation.

I rubbed my eyes, glanced at the long list of pros and smiled. I knew what I wanted; screw the fear. I was in this thing. We'd both been waiting for the right moment for far too long and we'd be fools to let the opportunity pass us by. I brushed my fingers over the word 'kisser,' once again recalling our kiss from the night before. My imagination took over and I pictured him touching me, kissing me, making lo –

A sharp knock on the door made me jump, my flailing arms causing the list to flutter to the floor. The door swung open and I jumped again. What the hell was my mother doing here?

"Lorelai? I've been waiting for you. We were supposed to have lunch," she told me in that condescending tone of hers.

I frowned, confused. "But you left."

"So? What does my leaving have to do with having lunch with you and Rory? That hardly makes sense, Lorelai."

I exhaled loudly. "Right. Well, I guess we should eat."

"We should. I will get Rory and we'll meet you in the dining room." She marched out of my office while I bent down and scooped up the pro/con list. I folded it and shoved it into my pocket before hurrying after my mother. My date with Luke that evening couldn't come soon enough.

xxxxx

Rory and Emily were sitting in the dining room at a table in the corner, away from the Stars Hollow crowd that remained. I waved at Babette and Miss Patty who were still wearing their robes from the night before. Luke was right, this town really was filled with a bunch of nuts.

The table was already filled with enough food for an army, thanks to Sookie. I sat next to Rory and tried to avoid eye contact with my mother. I was so not in the mood for another lecture about how cruel it was to stick her and dad out in room 12 last night. Instead, she surprised me with a compliment. "This really is a fine establishment you've created here, Lorelai. You and Sookie have done very well for yourselves. I believe you will be successful."

I gawked at her. I couldn't remember the last time Emily Gilmore had paid me a genuine compliment. I waited for the other shoe to drop, and when it didn't I finally said, "Thank you, Mom. Your support means a lot to me."

She smiled at me. "I'm pleased to hear you say that, because I would like to stay here for a while."

I could feel my jaw drop as I sat frozen, staring at her. For once in my life I was completely speechless. It was Rory who broke the silence. "But Grandma, you have a whole house to live in, why would you need to stay here?"

Emily sighed. "I will not live under his roof for another day. That man is driving me insane. Now I know you aren't officially open for a few weeks, but I don't need much, just a room and something to eat. You won't even know I'm here."

I finally managed to find my voice. "Mom, this is crazy. You and dad just need to sit down and talk this out."

"I'm sorry, Lorelai, but I think we are beyond talking at this point."

"But--" Rory began.

"Rory, I've made my decision and it is final."

"Mom, you can't be serious."

"Do you mean to tell me that you will not let your own mother stay in your inn?" She gave me a withering glare and I shuddered. I _knew_ the compliments had a loop hole.

Please tell me this was a joke. My mother, in Stars Hollow, for who knows how long. I was going to die.

"No, of course I don't mean that. I just mean... Are you sure you and dad can't work this out?" _Please say no, please say no._

She nodded. "That man is infuriating. I've already packed my bags and they're in the car." She paused and looked at me pointedly. "But I could always go find another hotel or something."

I sighed. I knew that I really had no other choice. "You don't have to do that. You can stay here. I'll have Michel prepare room #6 for you."

"Thank you, Lorelai. That would be lovely. Now, shall we eat?" Emily took a bite of salad and I slipped away for a moment to talk to Michel.

"Okay, we're all set. I've asked Tommy to bring in your bags." I told my mother as I sat down again.

"Wonderful." She turned back to Rory. "So, Rory, what are your plans for the summer?"

Rory kept shooting me curious looks as she filled her grandmother in on her summer job at the bookstore. I knew she was bursting to find out the results of the pro/con list, but I also knew she wouldn't dare ask me in front of my mother.

While they chatted, I picked at my plate absently, dwelling on this latest development. My stomach lurched. How on earth was I going to survive this? She really couldn't have had worse timing, what with the Inn opening and this whole thing with Luke. Oh God. Luke! How was I going to keep Emily out of the loop if she was in Stars Hollow, within reach of the town gossips? She hated Luke. This did not bode well.

"Well, I think I'll retire to my room for a rest. Once your guests leave, perhaps the three of us could have dinner together and take in a movie?"

"Tonight?" I flinched at the panic in my voice.

"Yes, tonight." She narrowed her eyes. "Is that a problem?" Of course it was a problem. I was supposed to see Luke tonight, but I wasn't about to tell _her_ that. Before I could think of a plausible excuse, Rory came to my rescue.

"Mom and Sookie are supposed to meet tonight to rehash the test run. But you and I could have a girl's night. I could even stay here with you tonight." My daughter was good, really good. That was much more believable than the excuse I would have come up with. I could have kissed her.

"Oh, that sounds lovely, Rory." My mom looked thrilled.

"I'm sure Sookie can whip up some treats for you two." I suggested, grateful that my mother seemed to have forgotten about me.

Emily stood. "That sounds fine. I'm going to go have a nap now. I'll see you both later."

"Bye, Grandma," Rory called as Emily walked toward the stairs. As soon as her grandmother was out of sight, Rory turned to me. "So?"

"So what?" I asked coyly, even though I knew exactly what she was talking about.

"So where is the list?" she whispered.

I pulled it out of my pocket and handed it to Rory. I watched her nervously as she read each point with an affirmative nod. When she had finished she lowered the list to her lap and beamed at me. "Does this mean what I think it means?"

I nodded and Rory squealed and leapt from her seat. She pulled me to my feet and threw her arms around me, bouncing giddily as she continued to squeak.

Kirk, Lulu, Patty and Babette all stared at us as they whispered amongst themselves. Realizing we had an audience, Rory ceased bouncing and whispered, "I'm so happy for you."

I sat down and pulled her to her seat. "Well, don't get too excited yet. I still have to talk to Luke. For all we know he's changed his mind and decided to join the Renaissance Fair."

"Luke? At a Renaissance Fair? That will never happen. I think you're safe." She laughed and grabbed a strawberry tart from one of the plates on the table.

"Hey, thanks for the save, by the way. Your excuse was far better than the story I was going to tell about having to shave my eyebrows." I shoved a spoonful of pasta into my mouth. Suddenly, I was starving.

"Shave your eyebrows?" Rory was biting her lip, probably to stop herself from laughing at me.

"Yeah, yeah. I know it's lame. I was panicked, okay? Thank goodness you saved me or I'd be trying to explain Luke to my mother right now. I groaned and took another bite of pasta. "Oh my god. Sookie is a goddess. What is in this? It's so good!"

"No idea." Rory took another tart. "I'm wondering the same thing about these tarts. They're like little tiny pies. They're incredible."

xxxxx

By four o'clock I was physically and emotionally spent. I had survived lunch with my mother, endured several complaints from Taylor (and my mother), and participated in multiple verbal sparring matches with Michel (and my mother).

I shared an amused glance with Rory as Kirk and Lulu approached the front desk to check out. Kirk was walking oddly and wincing with every step, but trying to hide his pain from Lulu.

"Thank you so much for inviting us, Lorelai. We had a wonderful time, didn't we, Kirk?" Lulu said sweetly.

"Yes... we...did," Kirk managed to choke out as he shifted uncomfortably.

"You okay there, Kirk? Do you need more band-aids?" I asked him. I was genuinely concerned; he did not look well. Maybe Taylor's roses had given him an infection or something.

Kirk's eyes widened in panic. "No," he shouted. "Everything is fine."

Rory snorted and turned her back to them, trying to hide the mirth that she was failing to contain with a series of fake coughs.

Lulu was unfazed. "Remember to use your inside voice, sweetie." She patted him lightly on the shoulder and handed me the key to their room. "Thanks again."

"You're welcome," I said, shaking my head as they walked away.

Rory had managed to compose herself and together we observed Kirk and Lulu through the window.

"Poor Kirk," I said between giggles as Kirk attempted to get into the golf cart without sitting down.

"I'm amazed Lulu hasn't asked him what's wrong . He's been odder than usual all day," Rory mused.

"I honestly don't understand what Lulu sees in him," I stated, "but it's nice that Kirk has someone looking out for him. Everyone should have that." I couldn't help smiling as I remembered how close I was to having that too... with Luke. My heart began to thud loudly as I thought about him. My fear and reservations had all but vanished and had been replaced by excitement mixed with a hint of nervousness. Now that the test run was over I could finally focus on preparing for our date tonight.

"I just have to make sure Sookie doesn't need anything and then we can go."

"Go?" Rory frowned, puzzled. "Go where?"

"Home. I need you to help me pick my outfit. And I assume you will need things for this evening too."

"Most of my stuff is still here from last night, but I did want to bring over a few movies. The only thing Black, White and Read is showing right now is _Titanic_, and there's no way I'm sitting through that again."

I gasped. "But think of all the lost mocking potential."

"You'll live." Rory rolled her eyes. "Go check in with Sookie. I'll go let Grandma know I'll be back in a bit."

"Fine. I'll meet you back here in 5 minutes." I walked to the kitchen and found Sookie sitting on a stool with her chin resting on her hand. She had a dreamy look in her eyes and seemed to be completely unaware of the utter chaos surrounding her as the kitchen staff raced around trying to clean up after their guests.

"Sook?" I tapped her shoulder gently, trying to get her attention.

"Huh?" Sookie blinked at me. "Oh, Lorelai. Hi."

"Hi. You okay?"

"I'm fine. I was just thinking about your date tonight. It's so exciting. Luke and Lorelai together at last. I'm so happy for you." Sookie was waving her arms around as she spoke, oblivious to the fact that she'd nearly knocked over a container of white sauce.

I laughed. I swear, she was even more excited about this than I was. I was lucky to have such a great friend. "Aww. That's sweet of you."

"It's just so romantic, you know? He's been waiting for you for all these years, and you've been secretly pining for him. And now finally here you are, you have your chance." Sookie dabbed at her eyes with the edge of her apron.

"I was not pining for him. I just didn't know what I wanted. Now I do. Speaking of which, I'm about to head out and get ready for my date, I just wanted to make sure everything is okay before I leave."

"Oh yeah, we're fine. And I'll make sure I'm gone by five like we planned so your mother doesn't get suspicious. Pierre can finish dinner tonight." I flinched at the mention of my mother. I still wasn't thrilled about her staying here.

"Thank you. I appreciate your help – with everything."

"You're welcome." Sookie giggled. "Go get beautiful. And don't forget to call me the minute he leaves. I want details."

I laughed and left in search of Rory. We had an outfit to find.

xxxxx

I stood half-naked in my bedroom, surrounded by the mountains of rejected date outfits that were piled on every available surface. Rory had disappeared into the depths of my closet several moments before. I was just contemplating sending in a search party when she emerged with the dress I had worn to the dance-a-thon the previous year.

I was about to reject it, when I remembered the look Luke had given me that evening. That had been one of those moments in our past when I had felt that there was something between us. During our conversation on the bleachers, there'd even been a moment when I wanted nothing more in the world than to have him kiss me. But he hadn't, and I'd let the moment pass, just as I had let so many others pass before that.

I brought my hand to my mouth and softly traced my lips with my fingertips, remembering for the umpteenth time that day, just how amazing kissing Luke had been. I should have kissed him that night. If I had any idea what I was missing, I probably would have. And then Nicole never would have happened, and maybe Luke wouldn't have ended up married. Or at least if he had, maybe he would have married me...I shook my head at myself. We hadn't even been on our first date yet and I was thinking about marriage? Was I insane? Probably.

Rory had lowered the dress at the shake of my head and she was staring at me as though I _was_ completely insane. "Come on, Mom, this is like the four-trillionth outfit you've rejected. You're running out of clothes, and Luke will be here soon. Plus, I have to get to the inn for my slumber party with Grandma."

"Rory. Oh precious fruit of my loins," I joked. "You misunderstood. I shook my head at my own deranged thoughts, not the dress selection. That dress is perfect."

"Really? You're not pulling my leg?" She looked at me doubtfully. I supposed I had earned that look; this was not the first outfit I had approved, only to change my mind two seconds later.

"Really. This is the one." To prove my point, I snatched the dress from her hand and pulled it over my head. "See? It's on. Now I just have to find shoes."

Rory rolled her eyes. "Oy with the poodles already." Just then the doorbell rang and Rory breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll get the door, Mom. You find those shoes."

I was already on my knees with my head halfway into the closet as I rummaged around looking for the black pumps that matched this dress. "Thanks, sweets."

I heard muffled voices below and I sped up my search, tossing unwanted shoes behind me as I dug through the pile. Finally I found them. I hooked them over my finger and raced out of the room, butterflies fluttering in my stomach as I descended the stairs. When I reached the landing, Luke stepped out of the foyer and I paused, my breath catching as I noticed his attire.

He looked entirely un-Luke-ish and yet wholly Luke at the same time. Gone were his characteristic flannel, jeans and baseball cap. In their place he wore navy slacks and a blue collared shirt that made the blue of his eyes stand out even more spectacularly than it usually did. His hair was combed and his face was clean-shaven. The fluttering in my stomach increased and spread lower as my eyes remained fixated on his. I attempted to walk down the stairs toward him and somehow managed to miss the second to last step.

I yelped as I began to plummet to the ground and I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the impact. I was falling, and suddenly, I wasn't. I felt a pair of strong arms slide around my waist and I opened my eyes to see Luke's chest directly in front of me. I raised my head and saw him gazing down at me, his lips pursed in concern. "Are you alright?" he whispered.

I nodded, too distracted by his nearness to speak. I rested my hands on his chest as he lowered me to the floor. Once my feet were stable, I slid my arms around his neck and leaned closer. All I could think about was what it would feel like to have his smooth lips on mine again. Everything else, my hesitations, my fears, my embarrassment over literally falling into his arms, disappeared as I felt his warm breath dance across my cheek.

His lips caught mine and I sighed, melting into his chest as I savoured the taste of him. I wanted this man, in ways I had never imagined possible. In that moment, I knew with absolute certainty that I was making the right choice. I knew that this man would keep me safe; that he would take care of my daughter; that our friendship would only make our relationship stronger. Any remaining doubts I may have had about us fled in that instant.

Someone behind us cleared their throat and Luke broke the kiss, pulling away from me a little but keeping one hand on the small of my back. I was grateful for the continued contact; my lips were already feeling naked from the absence of his kiss.

I looked at Rory and felt my cheeks burning under her intense stare. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm headed to the inn to meet Grandma," she said casually, holding up her overnight bag.

"Oh, okay. Good night, hon." I reluctantly pulled away from Luke to give her a hug. "Don't let Grandma boss you around too much."

"Don't worry, I won't." Rory walked toward the door. "You two kids have fun," she called over her shoulder as she bolted for her car.

Luke came up behind me and ran his hand through his hair. He looked pretty nervous for a guy who had just kissed me with such fervour. "I guess we should get going." He picked up my jacket and held it out for me.

I let him help me into it and smiled. "I guess so. Where exactly are you taking me, Luke Danes?" I asked teasingly, trying to lighten the mood a little.

"You'll see," he said simply, holding the door open for me.

I closed it behind me and headed for his truck. I was almost there when I noticed that Luke was still on the porch. I looked back to him and called, "You coming?"

"Aren't you going to lock it?" He jerked his hand toward the door.

I shrugged. "Nah, no one would bother trying to break in with 'Babette's Neighbourhood Watch' right next door."

Luke frowned as he came toward me. "You really should lock it anyway. It's not safe."

"Aww, it's sweet that you're so worried. I'll consider it," I told him as I climbed into the truck.

Luke sighed. "That's the best I'm gonna get, isn't it?" He started the engine.

I nodded emphatically and gave him two thumbs up and said in my best Michelle Tanner voice, "You got it, dude!" I think this 'dating Luke' thing is going to be a blast.

_TBC_


	2. Something I Have Dreamed About

**A/N: **_Here's chapter two! This chapter is almost the same timeline as the first one only it's from Luke's POV so there will be some overlap. Only one more chapter after this one. I'm hoping to have it up within the week. And there just might be a rating change involved. :) _

_I've had a few emails asking about the SDNF sequel - don't worry, it's in the works. I've had report cards and parent conferences to deal with in the past few weeks so I had to slow down on the writing for a while. But now it's spring break so I should be able to catch up and get back to my regular writing schedule very soon. _

_Speaking of writing, there's another author's auction coming up __**April 3-6**_ _(more info at __). I'll be auctioning myself off again (for a 5000-10000 word story!) so if you have an idea you've been dying to see my take on, start saving your pennies and come out and bid. There are some other fabulous authors up for auction as well. It's for a great cause and it's a lot of fun. I'll also be participating in the Chat-a-thon that's happening that weekend as well so if you have any burning questions for me, be sure to remember them and ask away. I'll be posting my chat time on my author page once I've got it. _

_As always, my extreme gratitude goes to my extraordinary beta __**Jewels12**_ _who had to talk me off the ledge several times during the writing of this chapter. (Luke's POV is not an easy one to write my friends). _

_My thanks also to __**Olivia_Jane **__who helped me to make Luke a little more conflicted. _

_Once again, title credit goes to the __**Bangles.**_

**Something I Have Dreamed About**

I couldn't hear myself think, let alone whatever Lorelai was babbling about. The diner was packed, Caesar was calling out orders every three seconds, and several customers needed my attention. I quickly wiped the counter while I tried to decipher her words. She said she needed to talk and I couldn't help hoping that she wanted to talk about our kiss the night before.

I heard a baby screaming in the background on her end of the phone followed by a loud crash. "Hold on," I told her as I navigated my way past some customers and stretched the phone cord to the storage room.

"You hold on, too," she called. After a moment the screaming was suddenly quieter and she said, "I'm good."

I closed the door behind me and settled myself on some boxes. "I'm good, too."

"So... " I said, hoping my voice sounded relaxed. "You wanted to talk."

"Yeah. I just realized that, uh, you know, when I got back last night, I was, um, a little distracted." I'd never heard her sound this nervous before. Usually her words were flying at 3000 miles per hour and I was lucky if I could understand half of what she said. But now she was hesitant. _Why?_ I wondered. Is she hesitant because she's about to let me down gently?

I tried to sound casual. "Hey, no big deal." But it was a big deal. To me, anyway. I'd been waiting a long time for this. I'd been dreaming of those velvety lips of hers for years. I felt a knot forming in my stomach as I anticipated the rejection that was sure to be coming any second now.

" Uh, no, no, it really was a big deal. I just, um –" The knot in my stomach tightened.

This was it. This was the part where she told me she just wanted to be friends. I wasn't sure I was ready for that. "Seriously, you don't need to –"

" We kissed." My heart leapt hopefully. I felt myself smile involuntarily as I remembered that kiss. She was so sweet, so soft, so feminine. I must have been silent for longer than I thought because the next thing she said was, "You and me, we kissed?"

" I remember." _And I remember how you smelled, and how beautiful you were, and how right it felt kissing you._ I added silently.

" And it was...unexpected." _Unexpected? _What did that mean? Was that a bad thing? Or a good thing? I wasn't sure. I needed to know, but I couldn't just come right out and ask her.

Instead I decided to give her the easy out. "Lorelai, relax. I'm fine if you want to just forget it ever happened, really." Inside my brain was screaming, _No, please don't forget about it. I know I won't forget about it. Ever. _

" No, I don't want to forget it ever happened. It was a great kiss." An overwhelming sense of relief flooded my whole body. I wouldn't have to pretend that one of the most incredible moments of my entire life never happened.

"Yeah?" I was smiling again.

"If one of us had been a frog, it would have had some seriously impressive consequences." A frog? What the hell did she mean by that? I searched my brain frantically for everything I'd ever heard about frogs.

Suddenly it clicked, and the knot in my stomach turned to flutters of anticipation. " Okay."

"So, what do you think?" She sounded uncertain, as though she was worried that _I_ would reject _her_.

_Oh, Lorelai, if only you knew. _"I think I'm really relieved you feel that way."

"So you concur?" The brightness and enthusiasm that I loved was back in her voice.

" Dear God, yes." I finally let myself believe that this was actually happening.

" Good. So, then, I guess we'll discuss this later." It sounded to me like she was smiling.

I quickly contemplated if I could get away from the diner tonight. I'd make it work. I had to see her again, and soon. "Tonight?"

There was a pause, and my breath caught for a moment as I thought perhaps she'd changed her mind. "Tonight," she agreed.

I released the breath I was holding and smiled. "Okay. Thanks for the call." I winced at my formal tone.

"Well, my pleasure," she said, as though we had just finished a successful business call. After she hung up, I stared at the phone for a moment, her final word ringing in my ear. _Pleasure. _For a moment I let myself fixate on a very different meaning of the word. I'd dreamt of her many times over the years, and now I was realizing that I may finally have the chance to make those dreams become a reality. I couldn't wait to show her how I felt about her.

I shook my head, dragging my thoughts back from the gutter. _But you're going to do this right, Danes. You're going to take it slow, follow social __decorum__. If you want forever with this girl, you have to do it right. _I told myself.

The buzzing of the dial tone startled me and I soon became aware of the sounds of chaos in the diner. Reluctantly, I left the storage room, grabbing the coffee pot on my way to hang up the phone.

xxxxx

Things were insane in the diner all day and the war that was waging in my head didn't of _I finally have a date with Lorelai _mingled with thoughts of _What if I blow it and scare her away? _I was excited about our date and yet doubt continued to plague me.

Still, I felt myself smiling without reason. I even listened to Taylor when he came in for a cup of tea after lunch and yammered on about French loafers and shoe shining. Nothing could irritate me today. The woman of my dreams finally knew how I felt. Well, she sort of knew, anyway. I don't think she knew about the forever part just yet, but that would come. At least I hoped so. Oh god, what if she didn't want forever?

I was standing behind the counter during a lull, contemplating Lorelai's feelings for me, when Kirk entered the diner. He came and hovered near the counter but didn't sit down. Normally this would have annoyed me, but today I found it amusing.

"Have a seat, Kirk," I suggested, knowing full well why he wouldn't want to.

Kirk glanced at the stool nervously and took a step back, shaking his head. "NO!" he shouted, attracting the stares of the few customers that remained in the diner.

I rolled my eyes. This man could be such a drama queen at times. He cleared his throat and said more softly, "Um, no, thank you, Luke. I'll just stand."

I shrugged. "Suit yourself. What will you have today, Kirk?"

He looked anxious all of the sudden as he glanced around the diner. "Well, actually, I need your advice," he said in a panicked whisper.

"Aww, jeez." _Not again. _I thought. Why the hell did he keep choosing me as his confident? Was I giving off friendly vibes or something? I'd have to ask Lorelai later. The smile returned as I thought of her and I barely noticed Kirk grabbing my arm and yanking me into the back room.

"Luke," he said desperately, "I think Lulu wants to move in together and I don't know what to do. Mother would never allow it."

I blinked and tried to block my thoughts from straying to Lorelai again as I processed Kirk's words. "Kirk, you are a grown man. You can do whatever you want."

"But mother is allergic to Lulu. They couldn't live in the same house."

"What?" I felt myself doing a double take. "Why the hell would you live at your mother's house?"

Kirk stared at me blankly. "Where else would we live?"

"Lulu's maybe?" Good Lord. Kirk was worse than a four year old sometimes.

"Oh no. Mother says that Lulu's house is too close to the seedy part of town. She doesn't even let me visit."

"The seedy part of town?" I could hear my voice getting louder. I guess Kirk could still annoy me despite the happiness I was feeling. "_What_ seedy part of town? This is Stars Hollow."

"But mother says -"

"For crying out loud, Kirk. You are not a child. You don't have to listen to everything your mother says anymore. If you want to live with Lulu, you should live with Lulu. You're old enough to make your own decisions." I could hear the phone ringing in the diner. Maybe it was Lorelai, again.

"I do want to live with Lulu. I love her."

"Then talk to her and make it happen." I edged closer to the curtain and pointed in the direction of the phone with my thumb. "I gotta get that."

"Thanks, Luke," Kirk exclaimed with outstretched arms.

"Welcome," I muttered as I quickly ducked through the curtain and successfully avoided his hug attempt.

I watched Kirk meander off as I picked up the phone. "Hello?" I said hopefully. My smile faded when I heard the dial tone on the other end. I set the phone back on the cradle and sighed. I looked at the clock. Only 2 hours until our date. The smile was back. So were my doubts.

xxxxx

Lane arrived for her shift, and after a few quick instructions, I slipped upstairs to get ready for my date with Lorelai. For the first time since our phone call that morning, I gave my full attention to the thoughts that had been threatening to overwhelm me all day. I finally let myself think about her, about how far we'd come.

I entered my apartment, smiling as I pictured how she looked the night before. Her eyes had been so vibrant when we'd fought, and I'd never seen her look more beautiful than in that moment just before I finally kissed her. I let myself relive that moment, reveling in the scent and taste of her. My breathing began to quicken. I pulled my clothes out of the closet and laid them on the bed before heading to the bathroom for a cold shower.

As the cold water beat against my shoulders, I thought again about the night before. I was still kind of mad at Kirk for interrupting us. If he hadn't come down those stairs at that exact moment, I wouldn't have spent the evening feeling so uncertain of Lorelai's feelings. It had been so crazy afterward that we never had a chance to talk. She had forms to fill out and guests to attend to, so I'd just gone to bed. I'd spent a restless night in room 7, knowing that she was sleeping just across the hall, wondering what she was thinking.

I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. I heard the phone ringing so I quickly wrapped the towel around my waist and ran to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Luke, hi, it's Liz," I heard my sister say brightly.

I smiled and tried to ignore the knot that was threatening to form in my gut. Usually when Liz called out of the blue like this, it wasn't good news. "Hey, Liz. What's up?"

"Not much. Just calling to see how my big brother was doing."

Well this was a first. Liz rarely called unless she was in trouble or needed help or money. "Uh... I'm good. Actually, I'm getting ready to go out."

"Really? You, Mr. Antisocial, are going out? Where?"

"Just out," I grumbled. My sister was the last person I wanted to discuss my social life with.

Liz's voice got higher, in that annoying, high-pitched way of hers. "Oh my God. You're going on a date, aren't you? With who? Is it Lorelai? Oh, I hope it's Lorelai. You two are just so perfect together."

In the background I could hear TJ's voice saying, "Luke's going out with Lorelai? She's hot. He's one lucky gu-- Hey!"

"TJ!" I held the phone away from my ear as Liz continued to scream at my new brother-in-law. Oh yeah, this marriage was going to last. I rolled my eyes.

"What? I'm not allowed to notice when another girl is hot? She's a looker, that's all I'm sayin' -- Ow, Liz."

"We'll discuss this later," Liz said firmly before turning her attention back to me. "So?"

"So what?" I really didn't want to talk about this with her.

"Are you going on a date with Lorelai?" Liz persisted.

Apparently I was in this discussion whether I wanted to be or not. I started to get dressed as I sighed. "Yes. I'm going on a date with Lorelai."

I held the phone away from my ear again as she squealed. "I knew it! I thought there was something going on at the wedding, TJ didn't believe me. But I knew. You are my big brother after all. Poor Carrie, she's going to be so disappointed."

"Aw, jeez," I groaned.

Liz ignored me, as usual. "I'm so happy for you Luke. You know, I think Dad would have really liked her."

I sat on the bed and glanced at the picture of my parents on their wedding day. They looked so happy, so full of life. I swallowed hard, suddenly overcome with unexpected emotion. "Yeah, he really would have. Mom too."

"She reminds me a bit of mom, actually," Liz said softly, her voice breaking. "Just like TJ reminds me of dad."

I had to cough to cover up my chuckle. Only Liz would try to compare TJ to a man like William Danes. I cleared my throat. "Well, I should really get going. I have to pick Lorelai up soon."

"Yes, you don't want to be late for your date. You're taking her somewhere nice, right? Not some dive like Buddy's."

"Hey," I scoffed. "Buddy has a nice place. I think Lorelai will like it."

"Luke, just because you like it there doesn't mean she will. She --"

"Butt out, Liz."

"Okay, fine, fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."

"I'm hanging up now, Liz."

"You better call me with details later." I rolled my eyes. Liz was incredibly nosy when she wanted to be.

"Goodbye, Liz."

"Goodbye, big brother. Good luck."

I hung up the phone, suddenly realizing that I'd just had a whole conversation with my sister while wearing only a towel. _Oh Jeez,_ I thought to myself, feeling very uncomfortable. I frowned in the direction of the phone for a moment before drying off and putting on the navy slacks and the blue dress shirt I'd laid out earlier. I momentarily considered a tie but quickly shrugged off the idea. I hated wearing a tie. It was bad enough that I was wearing fancy clothes. I'd much rather wear my flannel, but this was a date, and it didn't seem right to wear flannel on a date.

I checked the clock, and decided I had enough time to shave before I had to leave to pick her up. As I applied the shaving foam, I recalled Lorelai's reaction when she'd first seen me without my usual scruff. She'd given me a look that night that had shocked me to the core. For the first time since I'd met her, I started to hope that maybe she felt something too. That night was the first of thousands of moments between us that had finally culminated in our kiss last night. I finished shaving and ran a comb through my hair, smiling as I relived that kiss for the millionth time. It really had been better than I'd ever imagined. I could have kicked myself for not taking the risk and kissing her sooner.

I did another time check and quickly slipped on my shoes before grabbing a jacket and heading out the door. In less than 10 minutes I'd be seeing her again. I couldn't wait.

xxxxx

I pulled up to her house. The light was on in her bedroom and I could see two silhouettes moving about the room. I grinned, not at all surprised that she was still getting ready. I think if Lorelai were ever on time for something the world might actually implode.

I took my time getting out of the truck and slowly walked to the front door. I was about half way across the lawn when a loud, raspy voice caused me to jump about a mile.

"Hiya, Luke. You look han'some tonight," Babette called, waving enthusiastically from her front porch. "Doesn't he look han'some, Morey?"

"Very," Morey said in his usual dulcet tones.

"Whatcha doin' all dressed up like that?" she inquired nosily. Seriously, the people in this town needed to learn to mind their own damn business.

"Um, ahh..." I stuttered. I wasn't really sure what to say. Lorelai and I hadn't had a chance to discuss what we wanted to tell other people. Heck, we hadn't even had our first official date yet.

"Oh my God!" Babette squealed at a decibel level that would make a hound dog howl. "Are you and Lorelai?" She pointed from me to Lorelai's bedroom, her eyes bugging out. "Oh my God! MOREY, Luke and Lorelai are dating. I gotta call Patty. East Side Tilly ain't got nothin' on us." With that, she ran into her house, slamming the door in her excitement.

I couldn't help chuckling, even as I rolled my eyes. I was truly surrounded by a bunch of nut cases in this town. I glanced up at the window again. I was about to go out with the biggest nut case of them all. I guess that made me crazier than the rest of them put together. I started to walk a little faster, the corners of my lips turning up involuntarily as I approached the door and rang the bell.

I heard footsteps racing down the stairs and guessed it was probably Rory coming to answer the door while Lorelai scrambled to get ready last minute.

My suspicions were confirmed when the door swung ajar and I saw Rory's flushed face poking through the gap. "Hi, Luke," she said brightly, gesturing for me to come in. "Mom's just getting her shoes, she'll be down in a minute."

"Okay, good." There was an awkward silence as we stood in the foyer staring at each other for a moment. "So, uh, how's Yale?"

"Yale's good. I'm done for the year."

"Oh, right. Big plans for the summer?"

She shrugged. "Not really. I'm probably going to pick up some hours at the bookstore, spend time with mom and Lane. You know, the usual."

I nodded. "That's good. It's always great to have you around."

Rory shuffled her feet. "Um, Luke?" The nervousness of her voice caught me by surprise.

"Rory? What is it?" I tried to catch her eye, suddenly worried.

When she spoke again I could barely hear her. "Don't let her break your heart."

I frowned. "What?"

Her next words came out in a rush. "It's just that mom really likes you, but she has a tendency to get scared and try to push people away when they get close. I'm pretty sure it's different with you, but just in case. If she tries, don't let her get away with it, okay? I think you could make her really happy, Luke. I want her to be happy. You too." Rory finally looked at me, her eyes shining with the sincerity of her words.

"I promise you, Rory, I'm in this thing one hundred percent, and I will do everything in my power to make your mom happy. I lo--, I mean, I care about her a lot. " I was rewarded with a giant smile and a hug.

"Thanks, Luke." We both turned toward the living room as we heard footsteps padding down the stairs.

I emerged from the foyer just as Lorelai reached the landing. Our eyes met and a jolt of electricity coursed through my veins. My breath hitched as I took in the beauty before me. I recognized the dress instantly. It was the one she'd worn on the night of the dance-a-thon last year. It was the one that had plagued my dreams for weeks afterward. I'd almost kissed her that night, when we were on the bleachers and I was fixing that damn shoe. We'd been talking and joking and there'd been a moment between us. For an instant I'd wanted nothing more than to take her into my arms and kiss her until she was breathless. But we'd been interrupted and the moment had passed, and I was haunted by the memory of yet another missed opportunity. Now, though, she looked even more beautiful than she had that night.

She started to descend the last few stairs, her eyes never leaving mine. I felt something stirring deep within my gut that had nothing to do with hunger and everything to do with wanting her. When she reached the second to last step she tripped and I saw her lose her balance and start to fall. Without thinking, I raced toward her, reaching her just as she screamed and tumbled forward. She landed in my arms, and I slid my hands around her waist, supporting her as she partially regained her footing.

She tilted her head up toward me as I looked down at her, my lips pursed in concern. "Are you alright?" I whispered.

She nodded, resting her hands against my chest. I gently lifted her, lowering her from her awkward position on the stairs to a steady position on the floor. She slid her arms around my neck and all coherent thoughts fled from my consciousness. She was staring at my lips and I leaned forward, my breath quickening as I caught the scent of her fruity shampoo. Her breath felt warm and soft against my cheek as I closed the last few centimeters of distance between us and captured her lips with mine.

She sighed against my lips, and it was the sweetest sound I'd ever heard. I deepened the kiss, my tongue seeking hers as I savoured the taste of her; coffee mixed with French fries and a hint of something fruity. I kissed her thoroughly, letting her know without a doubt how much I wanted her.

Behind us, someone cleared their throat and I reluctantly pulled away, sobered by the reminder of Rory's presence in the house. I kept my hand on the small of her back, tracing lazy circles with my thumb as we both turned toward her daughter.

Rory was gazing intently at us, and I immediately felt my cheeks flush. I glanced at Lorelai, comforted by the matching blush that was emerging across her cheeks.

Rory spoke calmly as she held up a bag, "I just wanted to tell you that I'm headed to the inn to meet Grandma."

Her statement confused me slightly. The Dragonfly wasn't officially open yet. What was Emily doing there? I made a mental note to ask Lorelai about it later.

Lorelai moved away from me to hug Rory and instantly I felt a void. They said their goodbyes and Rory walked toward the door. "You two kids have fun," she called over her shoulder.

I walked over to Lorelai, running my hand through my hair nervously. After that kiss, I was even more anxious to get our date, and our future started. "I guess we should get going." I tried to keep my voice even as I picked up her jacket and held it out for her.

She beamed at me as I helped her into her jacket. "I guess so. Where exactly are you taking me, Luke Danes?" she asked, a hint of laughter in her voice.

I knew she was trying to bait me so I simply smiled while I held the door open for her and said, "You'll see."

She closed the door and was headed toward the truck. I stayed behind, my brow furrowed. She hadn't locked the door. Didn't she know how foolish that was, how unsafe? How could I keep her safe if she left the door unlocked so anyone could just walk in?

"You coming?" she called from the lawn.

I jerked my head toward the door. "Aren't you going to lock it?"

She shrugged flippantly, as though it didn't matter. "Nah, no one would bother trying to break in with 'Babette's Neighbourhood Watch' right next door."

I made my way to her, frowning. "You really should lock it anyway. It's not safe." I didn't like the way she was so casual about her safety. And Rory's.

Lorelai resumed her trek to the truck, her shoes swinging in her hand. She wasn't even wearing her shoes? She could hurt her feet doing that. And then I'd be stuck carrying her. Sheesh, this woman was going to be the death of me. "Aww, it's sweet that you're so worried. I'll consider it." Her tone indicated that we would probably have this discussion a million times and she'd win it a million times.

I sighed and settled myself into the driver's seat. "That's the best I'm gonna get, isn't it?" I started the engine.

Lorelai nodded emphatically and gave me two thumbs up. "You got it, dude!" she said in a funny voice, a huge grin on her face.

I groaned and rolled my eyes. "Aren't you going to put on your shoes?" I asked dryly. _So much work, _I thought, casting a quick glance her way. I smiled. _Good_ _thing I don't mind._

She leaned over and slid her foot into one of the shoes, using her finger to adjust the strap. She did the same with the other and sat up. "Happy now?"

"Overjoyed."

"So where are you taking me?" She was bouncing in her seat. I was pleased to see how excited she was.

I repeated my earlier words, "You'll see."

"Can't you give me a hint? Just one, teeny, tiny hint?"

"No." She crossed her arms and stuck out her lip in a pout. I wasn't about to fall for the guilt trip. I was determined to surprise her. Instead, I changed the subject. "What was all that about Rory and her grandmother?"

Lorelai stopped pouting and groaned. "My mother blindsided me into letting her stay at the inn for a while."

"But why? Doesn't she have a perfectly good house in Hartford?"

"That's what I said. But she insisted that she couldn't remain under the same roof as my father and pretty much forced me to let her stay at the inn even though we haven't officially opened yet."

My eyes widened in surprise. "Your parents are having marital problems?"

Lorelai sighed. "Apparently. I'm not exactly sure what's going on but I think it started after Gran died."

"Wow." I always thought that Emily and Richard were one of those couples that were together for life. That's the impression I'd had on the few occasions I'd met them, anyway.

"Who knows what's going on? I'm sure they'll patch it up soon. They have to, she's barely been at the inn a day and already she's driving me insane. Thank god Rory covered for me tonight."

"You didn't tell your mother about our date?" I had to admit, a part of me was a little hurt by that.

"Oh god no." Lorelai must have caught my wounded expression because she quickly added, "Not because I'm trying to hide it or anything. It's just that my mother disapproves of everything I do and everyone I associate with. I couldn't bear it if she disapproved of you too."

I nodded, feeling comforted by her confession. "That's got to be rough."

"It is. My whole life, all I've wanted is her approval, yet no matter what I do she never seems to be satisfied. Somewhere along the way I just gave up trying and decided it was best to keep her in the dark as much as possible. So far, it's worked pretty well for us."

"Are you sure about that?"

"No. But that's the way it is. Let's talk about something less depressing. Like, where are you taking me?"

I laughed. "You don't give up, do you?"

"Never. Come on, Luke. Where are you taking me?"

I pulled into a parking stall. "Here."

Lorelai looked at me, clearly confused. "Where?"

I gestured to the sign above us. "Here".

"Sniffy's Tavern," she read. "Sniffy's? You brought me to a place called Sniffy's?"

"Just come with me," I said, a hint of annoyance in my voice.

She climbed out of the truck and followed me into the tavern. As soon as we entered her eyes lit up. "Oh, I like this, it's like a cross between the _Cheers_ bar and _The Leaky Cauldron_."

I didn't have a clue what she was talking about but before I could ask, Maisy came up to me and gave me a huge hug. "Lucas! What a pleasant surprise."

I took Lorelai's arm and guided her toward the older woman. "Maisy, I'd like you to meet Lorelai."

Maisy's eyes widened. "You brought a girl? Lucas never brings his girls here, you must be pretty special. I'm giving you our best table." As she led us through the restaurant she called out, "Buddy."

Lorelai blushed for the second time that evening. "Lucas?" she inquired, raising her eyebrows at me.

"I come here at least once a week."

Lorelai gaped at me. "Oh my God. You have a Luke's!"

I shrugged. "I guess I do." I took her coat as she slid into the candle lit booth that Maisy had set up for us. I slid in beside her just as Buddy appeared.

I introduced him, and he and Maisy immediately started bickering about what they should serve us. After a moment they disappeared and I turned to Lorelai.

"Buddy and Maisy are like family to me. Maisy went to school with my mom and Buddy helped me out when I wanted to turn my dad's store into a diner." I gazed after them, wistfully. They were the last remaining connection I had to my parents and they really meant a lot to me.

Lorelai seemed to sense this and she took my hand in hers, squeezing gently.

I stared at her hand, suddenly struck by how similar it was to my mother's hand. My thoughts shifted to Liz's comment about how Lorelai was a lot like mom. She was right in a way. They shared a lot of qualities. Lorelai laughed at something on the menu and a distant memory floated through my mind.

_I was 8 and my mom and dad were chasing me and Liz around the backyard. Suddenly my dad stopped chasing us and started tickling my mom. She threw her head back and laughed, the clear, joyful tone ringing through my ears. _I remember watching them in fascination, admiring the obvious love they had for each other. In that moment, I decided that was the kind of love I wanted to have one day. I looked at Lorelai again; she was reading the menu aloud intently, clearly enjoying herself.

She finished reading and I cleared my throat. "Lorelai. " The emotion in my voice startled me, and it clearly had a similar effect on her because she instantly looked at me, her head tilted in concern.

"Luke?"

I tried again, "Lorelai, this thing we're doing, you and me. I just want you to know that I'm in. I'm all in."

She stared at me, and for a moment I was worried that maybe I'd said too much too soon. Then her face blossomed and she flashed her teeth in that vibrant smile of hers. "I pictured our wedding today," she confessed softly.

I blinked. Wow. "You did?"

She nodded. "Well, kind of. I was thinking about how I should have kissed you that night on the bleachers, and how if I had, then maybe you never would have married Nicole and we would be married by now instead."

I laughed. "I wanted to kiss you that night. I wanted to kiss you so badly, just like I'd wanted to a thousand times before, but I was afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"Afraid I'd scare you away, ruin a great friendship. I needed to have you in my life, even if it was only as a friend."

"I needed that too, Luke. But I've come to realize that I need more that that. You've been more than a friend to me for a long time, I just didn't want to acknowledge it. I trust you more than I trust anyone other than Rory. You look after us, you feed us, you put up with our teasing and our mocking. You worry about us. I value your opinion and I love spending time with you. I care about you and I was physically hurt when I found out you married Nicole. It should have been me, Luke, I wanted it to be me so badly." Her eyes were brimming with tears and I felt my breath catch as I listened to her heartfelt confession. I reached out and brushed away her tears with my thumb, the palm of my hand gently grazing her cheek.

"I wanted it to be you," I whispered, leaning forward ever so slightly. "Now it is. Now I finally have you and I'm never going to let you go." My lips hovered over hers.

"You promise?" Her voice was raw and vulnerable.

"I promise." I crushed my lips against hers, sealing my promise with my actions. Her lips parted and I found her tongue, joining it in a celebratory dance. I hugged her to me, reassuring her as I deepened the kiss.

"Oh my." Maisy's voice caused us to bolt apart. "Sorry to interrupt, but your dinner is ready."

I blushed. "Thanks, Maisy."

She set down our plates and quickly vanished.

Lorelai reached for her fork, shifting slightly so that her thigh was pressed lightly against mine. Although I was grateful for the contact, I also found it incredible distracting. How was I supposed to concentrate on eating when all I could think about was Lorelai and the way she smelled, sounded and felt?

She took a bite of her meal and moaned, sending another wave of desire rippling through my body. "Oh god, this is to die for. Try some, Luke."

Before I could process what was happening, she wound some noodles onto her fork and was shoving them into my mouth. I was instantly assaulted by a delicious cacophony of flavours that caused me to echo Lorelai's earlier moan.

"Wow. That is incredible," I managed to gasp, reaching for my water.

Lorelai nodded. "An orgasm on a fork," she said earnestly as she loaded another mouthful.

I choked on my water, nearly spitting it all over her. Luckily I managed to swallow it instead, but the whole ordeal left me coughing.

"You okay?" she asked, shoveling more pasta in her mouth.

"Uh, I'm fine," I said, picking up my fork and digging into my own meal.

"Just checking."

We finished the meal mostly in silence, our thighs touching the whole time. Once in a while she'd move her foot and her ankle would brush against mine. Each time it happened I felt more and more like a hormone crazed teenager. It took every ounce of my focus to concentrate on the meal in front of me.

During dessert we resumed conversation, talking amiably about everything from Yale and the Dragonfly, to Liz, TJ, and Kirk. I filled her in on my encounter with Babette and she laughed, claiming it was better that way since it saved us having to tell anyone.

When it was time to go, Buddy and Maisy came out to bid us farewell. They refused to accept payment for our meals so I ended up slipping some money into Maisy's apron when she hugged me goodbye. God that woman could be stubborn sometimes. After promising that we'd be back soon, I took Lorelai's hand in mine and we left the tavern.

"What now?" Lorelai asked. "I'm not ready for the night to end."

"Me either," I admitted. "How about a walk? The ocean isn't far from here."

"A walk would be nice." Lorelai squeezed my hand again, beaming. "This has been a really nice first date so far."

I pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head. "Yeah, it has."

_TBC_


	3. Whispering Your Name Out Loud

_**A/N: **__The third, final, and highly anticipated chapter is finally here. Huzzah! Hurray! Wooooooot! _

_Remember that your chance to own me is fast approaching. The Support Stacie Author auction begins April 4__th__. So stick your thinking caps on, save up your pennies, and come out to bid. For further information on the auction visit supportstacie dot net._

_Now for the accolades. Thank you to __**Rumplesnorcack, IloveLukey, **__and __**Jewels12 **__for the writing sessions that made this chapter come to life. My sincere thanks to __**Jewels12**__ for your awesome comments and suggestions. I seriously need to have a tree planted in your honour or something because you are out of this world fantastic! _

_Title credit for this chapter was again taken from __**The Bangles.**_

_Please note the very necessary ratings bump for this chapter. Enjoy the ride! _

**Whispering Your Name Out Loud**

We sat in companionable silence as we drove to the ocean, my hand resting on Luke's thigh. Dinner had been amazing and I couldn't believe how wonderful this date had been so far. It was already the best date I'd ever been on and it wasn't even over yet.

I rubbed my thumb lazily along the fabric of his slacks. All evening I'd been aware of his closeness; our thighs touching as we ate dinner, our ankles brushing casually. I craved the contact. It was as reassuring and comforting as it was exciting and intoxicating. I breathed deeply and stifled a moan. God, he smelled so good. For an instant I was thrust back to that moment in the living room when he'd caught me in his arms. Just the thought of that kiss had my heart thudding frantically in my chest.

Luke parked and flicked off the ignition. He turned to me, planting a chaste kiss on my forehead before opening his door and slipping out of the truck. I felt panicked at the loss of his touch and quickly tumbled out after him, anxious to be near him again. He locked the truck and took my hand, leading me to a trail off to the left. It was dark, the moon providing the only light as we trudged down to the beach. I watched him silently as we walked, my eyes transfixed on the shadows that danced across his face. He looked even more breathtaking in the moonlight and suddenly our joined hands weren't enough. I needed to touch him, to feel his lips press against mine, to run my fingertips across his cheek, his chest, his back. I needed him more than I'd ever needed coffee, or French fries or a cheeseburger. The realization startled me and I stopped, right there on the trail. I couldn't wait any longer.

Luke looked at me questioningly. "Lorelai, are you okay?"

I tried to speak, but no sound came out, so instead I nodded and tugged on his hand, pulling him to me. I snaked one hand around his waist, pressing his hips to mine as my other hand grazed his cheek, tracing the definition of his jawline. His eyes clouded over, turning to a sexy shade of greyish blue as I pulled his face down to meet mine. My tongue darted out and I traced his lips, relishing in the feel of his soft, supple skin. I sighed and molded my mouth to his, drawing his bottom lip between my teeth and suckling gently.

Luke moaned and slipped his tongue between our joined lips. I accepted it eagerly, circling it slowly at first, savouring the taste of him. His hands slid to my ass and he pressed against me. I could feel the evidence of his arousal resting against my stomach and I felt my own desire grow. I kissed him more fervently, with enough force that we both stumbled, loosing our footing. Luke caught me, effortlessly, our lips still fused together as he gently leaned against a nearby tree for support.

He planted a series of gentle, wet, mind-numbing kisses against my lips before trailing his way up to my ear. He blew on the sensitive skin before kissing it tenderly, sending a series of heart-stopping shudders up and down my spine. "Luke," I gasped, breathlessly. He caught my eye and grinned at me with a glint in his eye. He leaned into my neck catching my tender skin between his teeth as he gently nipped and licked his way to my collarbone. He traced lazy patterns along my skin with his tongue, driving me wild with each passing millisecond.

We heard voices coming toward us and we quickly pulled apart. Luke ran his hand through his hair nervously as though he was only now becoming aware of our surroundings. I smoothed the rumpled skirt of my dress and took a series of deep breaths. My heart was hammering in my chest and I was certain he could hear it. The owners of the voices walked past us, chattering excitedly as they made their way up the path we'd recently descended.

Once we were alone again, Luke shuffled his feet. He looked at me and shrugged sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I got kind of carried away there." He used his head to gesture in the direction of the tree.

"Hey," I said softly, approaching him again. "It's okay. I kind of started it. I've been wanting to kiss you since we left the restaurant." I was certain my cheeks were flushing.

Luke chuckled, a low deep sound that sent my heart racing again. He took my hand and squeezed gently. "How about that walk?"

"That would be nice." Hand in hand, we walked down the rest of the trail until we reached an expansive beach. Waves crashed rhythmically against the large rocks that dotted the shore, creating a peaceful and serene setting.

Luke paused as he searched for something at his feet. He released my hand and stooped to pick up a round, flat rock. He flicked his wrist and tossed the rock toward the water. It hit the surface with a gentle splat, splat, splat, jumping three times before sinking into the depths of the ocean below. Luke turned to me, his eyes dancing with amusement at the baffled expression on my face. "Haven't you ever skipped rocks before?"

I shook my head. "The Gilmores aren't really 'rock skipping' kind of people. They're more 'lie on a sandy beach under an umbrella' kind of people."

"That's a shame," Luke said softly. "My dad taught me to skip rocks. He tried to teach Liz too, but she never had the patience to learn properly." Luke looked wistful. I remained silent, hoping he'd continue. He didn't talk about his family very often and I was eager to learn more, but I didn't want to push.

When he didn't say anything, I decided to prod gently. "He sounds like a good man."

Luke smiled faintly, his eyes were glazed over as though he were somewhere far away. "He was the best. Always willing to help other people, to share his opinion." He took a shaky breath. "He would have loved you," he added softly.

I felt tears welling in my eyes as I touched Luke's arm gently. "I would have loved to have known him."

Our eyes met and for a moment it was as though I could see into his soul. I saw the love he had for his parents, the regret and pain of losing them so early in his life. He blinked and the connection was broken. He stooped down again, picking up another rock. "Here, let me show you how to skip rocks."

I nodded my agreement, trying to get my own emotions back under control. Luke came up behind me, resting his chest against my back. He placed the rock in my hand and held my wrist, showing me the motion to make with my hand. I tried to pay attention to his words, attempting to ignore the warmth of his body as it brushed against mine, the tenderness of his hand as it held my wrist. At his command, I flicked my wrist and released the stone. It traveled about a foot before plummeting to the ground and smashing against a rock. I laughed. "Well, that was an epic fail. It didn't even make it to the water. Let's face it, I'm a rock throwing dunce."

"You're not a dunce. You just need more practice. You want to try again?"

"Nah." I shook my head and leaned against him. Luke rested his chin on my head and wrapped his arms around me. We stood like that for a while, watching the waves as they lapped languidly against the shore. Our breathing became steady and synchronized. Gradually, the sound of the waves faded and I became hyper-aware of his presence. My skin tingled where ever we were touching and I could feel his heart beating ceaselessly in his chest. I shifted, turning to face him, my arms automatically sliding up his back. I looked up at him and whispered, "Hi."

"Hi," he whispered in return.

Our lips met, and the now familiar jolt of electricity flowed through my body, heightening my senses even more. We kissed hungrily, wasting no time in entwining our tongues. My desire to touch him increased as Luke deepened the pressure of the kiss. I tugged at the base of his shirt, freeing it from his pants. Soon my hands found their way under the light fabric and I ran them slowly up and down his back. He bit my lip, eliciting a purr from the back of my throat. "Luke," I gasped as he released my lips and bent his head over my chest. A second later I felt his warm tongue as it slid over the swell of my cleavage and descended into the deep v between my breasts. I dug my fingers into his back luxuriating in the sensations that vibrated through my veins.

Luke slid one hand over my ass and gently down my thigh, bunching the material of my dress in his hand as he shifted it upward. He crushed his mouth against mine as his hand plunged between my legs. I moaned as his fingers grazed against the lace of my black panties. He skillfully slid a finger under the elastic, gliding it along the slick moisture until he found my clit. He circled it, adding a second finger as his tongue explored the depths of my mouth. I wriggled my hips and whimpered into his mouth as the warm tingling I'd felt all evening began to spread and intensify. He thrust two fingers into my depths, the palm of his hand pressing against me as his fingers began to slide in and out. I grasped his shoulders for support as I felt myself losing control. Luke began to move his hand more quickly. The first wave of pleasure began to assault me and I cried out, screaming his name as the second wave followed. Suddenly the dam broke and my knees buckled. Luke held my waist tightly with his other hand, supporting me as my body shook.

I slowly regained my senses, the sound of the ocean once more entering my consciousness. My head rested against his shoulder and I realized we were still on the beach. At first I was horrified. I'd never in my whole life done anything like this before. I turned to Luke and the shocked expression on his face sent me into a fit of hysterical giggles.

"Lorelai," he growled, clearly not amused. His tone made me giggle even harder until I was practically snorting with laughter. "Stop."

"I'm sorry." I bit my lip, trying to control myself, but another giggle escaped. "It's just that I never would have guessed that you of all people would be so dirty."

"Jeez." Luke pulled away.

I stopped laughing and grabbed his arm. "It's okay, Luke," I said earnestly.

"No, it's not. You deserve to be treated better than this. There's a proper way to do this. We aren't some hormone-crazed teenagers who don't know any better." He buried his face in his hands.

"Luke," I said softly, pulling him into a hug. "Please stop beating yourself up about this. I'm okay. Better than okay. That was pretty amazing."

He dropped his hands and looked at me wearily. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. This is absolutely the best first date I've ever had." I smiled and squeezed his hand. "Come on, it's not over yet, let's go home."

"Yes, let's go home." Luke grinned and my heart did that flippy thing again. _Why exactly had we waited so long to be together?_ I wondered as we walked back to the truck arm in arm. Man we were idiots. Good thing we'd finally come to our senses.

xxxxx

The ride home felt like the longest 30 minutes in my life. I couldn't keep my eyes off Luke as he drove us back to Stars Hollow. Every once in a while he would cast me a heated glance that would set my heart racing and I'd have to restrain myself from giving in to the desire to reach out and touch him. I knew that if I did, I wouldn't be able to stop and that wouldn't be very safe considering he was driving.

I tried to distract myself by filling Luke in on the whole Taylor and the loafers fiasco at the inn. "You should have seen it, Luke. Michel insisted that he hadn't added shoe shining to the brochure even though he'd pretty much confessed to it earlier. Taylor was livid and started calling him a liar and a cheat, which of course set Michel off. So then, Michel started cursing at Taylor in French and Taylor turned red. You would have loved it. I swear, if I hadn't intervened he would have exploded."

"You mean like that guy from Monty Python?" Luke kept his eyes on the road but I could see the amusement pulling at the corners of his mouth.

My jaw dropped at the reference. "You've seen _The Meaning of Life_?"

Luke shrugged. "Yeah, I don't exactly live in a cave. I just don't watch all that stupid crap you like."

"HEY! And wow, the uber monk surprises me yet again. What next? Are you going to whip off your shirt to reveal your secret life as Superman?" I felt my cheeks burning as I immediately pictured him whipping off his shirt to an entirely different result.

Luke must have been thinking along the same lines because he suddenly turned beet red. When he spoke there was an edge to his voice, "Uh, if you're expecting Superman, I'm afraid you're going to be horribly disappointed... but I may have another surprise or two up my sleeve." He shot me a flirtatious look that sent my pulse into overdrive.

My breathing was ragged as I laughed, trying to keep the mood light even though it was anything but. "Oh, really?"

His voice dropped to a low, husky whisper, "Really."

My body reacted instantly to the sexy tone and the unspoken promise of his words. I had to sit on my hands to prevent myself from ripping his shirt off right then and there. _Good grief, what is wrong with me? I'm acting like a __hormone-ridden t__eenager. I haven't acted like this since... I've never acted like this before. _

I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. I didn't want Luke to think this was only about the physical for me. It was so much more than that. I was in this thing 100% and that was a first. I honestly couldn't claim that about any other relationship I'd ever been in before. Right now though, the physical aspects of our relationship were the only thing I could think of. I jiggled my knee impatiently. I was tired of waiting, of restraining myself. I wanted every part of him and I wanted him to know it.

Luke reached out and touched my knee, causing the jiggling to stop. I looked at him in surprise, suddenly realizing that we were in my driveway. The warmth from his hand was radiating down my leg, and up my thigh making it difficult for me to focus.

"We're here," he said softly, moving his hand away and unfastening his seatbelt. By the time I'd unfastened my own seatbelt, he was already opening my door. He offered his hand to help me out and I quickly accepted.

As soon as my feet touched the ground, my back was pressed against the side of the truck as Luke kissed me hungrily. The discomfort of the cool metal against my back quickly faded as Luke's tongue slipped between my lips and traced the contours of my mouth. His hands were running up and down my sides leaving tiny shocks of pleasure in their wake.

I wrapped my arms around him, returning his kisses with fervent ones of my own. I slid my hands over his back in a slow, zig-zag motion, pausing at his ass. I squeezed gently, eliciting a deep moan of pleasure. The low, sensual sound was muffled by my mouth as we continued to kiss passionately. Luke shifted, and the handle of the truck dug into my back, causing me to become cognizant of our surroundings once again. _What was it about this man that made me lose all sense of awareness? _

I broke the kiss, panting as I stared into his eyes. "What do you say we take this inside?" I laughed nervously.

Luke blinked, clearly realizing where we were. "Jeez. You must think I'm some sex-crazed psychopath." He ran his hand through his hair in embarrassment.

I stood on my tiptoes and planted a quick peck on his lips. "Quite the contrary, my friend." I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the house. "I think you're acceptably turned on."

As soon as we were safely in the foyer, my hands flew to the buttons of his blue dress shirt. I quickly popped them open, backing him into the living room. I slid the shirt off his shoulders, revealing a smooth, defined chest. Luke's legs bumped against the coffee table as I began to run my hands over his well-sculpted muscles, caressing and tickling with my fingers. I planted warm kisses along his neck, my fingers flicking at his nipples as I worked my way lower. I licked my way across his abs and Luke moaned, grasping at my shoulders for support. My hands found the clasp on his slacks and within seconds he was stepping out of them. His boxer-briefs promptly followed and then I was kneeling before him as he sat on the coffee table.

I kissed his knee, my hand stroking him slowly as I licked my way languidly up one thigh and then the other. I watched him closely, grinning as I saw him tilt his head back and take a deep breath. My lips gently brushed against his testicle. My tongue darted out, tracing circular patterns over the soft skin. Luke's chest was rising rapidly as his breathing became labored and I moved to the other side. I took each round organ into my mouth in turn, rolling them gently with my tongue, letting my teeth graze the delicate skin lightly.

"Lorelai," Luke gasped. His voice was raw and his breath was coming in rapid puffs.

"Mmm?" I murmured. I began to slide my tongue along the underside of his shaft. I reached the tip, swirling my tongue around it before enveloping it with my lips. Luke whispered my name as he leaned back and grasped the sides of the coffee table for support. I started to suck slowly as I bobbed my head, engulfing more of him with each movement. My hand massaged the base of his length while I continued my ministrations. Luke's hips began to gyrate beneath me as I increased my speed.

"Lorelai," Luke moaned again. He grasped the sides of my face, extracting me with a resounding 'pop'. He leaned forward and drew my lips into a searing kiss. He stood, pulling me with him, his lips never ceasing in their endeavors. As we fumbled our way to the stairs, Luke worked at the zipper of my dress and his warm hands caressed my back.

We stumbled over the bottom step, and nearly landed in a heap on the floor. Luke regained his footing first, and for the second time that evening his hands slid to my waist, preventing me from falling. He lifted me and I wrapped my legs around his hips, my arms wound tightly around his neck. Our lips connected again and heat seared through my veins as Luke carefully ascended the stairs.

We were halfway to the bed when I remembered the state of my room. I felt Luke's frown against my lips just seconds before the first cuss came. I giggled as Luke kicked at whatever he'd tripped on. "Lorelai," he growled, causing me to giggle harder. "What the hell is all this crap?"

"Rejected outfits."

"What'd you do? Raid your entire closet?" he asked as he set me on the bed and surveyed the room.

"How else would I make myself look beautiful?" I rose to my knees and batted my eyelashes playfully.

Luke turned to look at me and immediately the heat in his eyes had my pulse racing and my palms sweating. "Lorelai, you're always beautiful." He stroked my cheek with his thumb, traced my lips and kissed me with a tenderness that made me want to melt. His hands found the gap left by my open zipper and the feeling of his hands on my bare skin made me shiver. He nuzzled my neck, grazing the skin with his teeth. One of his hands found the button on the halter and the straps of my dress fell forward. Luke tugged lightly, releasing my breasts from the confining fabric. "Beautiful," he murmured, taking a step back, his hands resting on my hips. I blushed under his appreciative gaze, while still taking the time to properly admire his naked form.

He knelt beside me, and ran his finger along the outline of my collarbone, then bent his head and mimicked the motion with his tongue. His hand cupped one breast, squeezing gently as his tongue leisurely danced across the swell of the other. My nipples hardened instantly as his mouth encircled one of them. He began to suck on it, and I arched my back as his fingers played with the other breast, twisting and pulling at the tip.

I moaned and raked my nails up and down his back, as the heat I was feeling between my legs intensified. His hands remained on my chest as he blazed a trail of sizzling kisses across my stomach. His hands fluttered down my sides to the bunched fabric that was still tangled around my waist and legs. He took his time freeing me from the rest of the dress, his eyes following the downward motion of his hands. I stood and he gave one last yank, letting the dress and my panties fall to the floor.

Luke's lips were crushed against mine a second later, our naked bodies pressed together for the first time. The feeling of his warm skin against mine heightened my arousal and I returned his kisses with feverish determination. We tumbled backwards onto the bed, landing awkwardly on a pile of clothing and shoes. Luke growled at the interruption and swept the debris to the floor in one fluid motion. I giggled at the annoyance etched on his face, and his eyes narrowed.

"Stop that." He crawled toward me, his look of irritation turning to one of desire as he neared me. He lifted my foot and planted a series of tiny butterfly kisses along my heel and my ankle, all the while never breaking his eye contact with me. My entire abdominal area fluttered excitedly as he continued his journey up my leg, stopping at my knee and moving to the other foot, repeating his actions. My breathing became laboured as he traversed my thigh, nipping at my skin. He paused when he reached my centre, his eyes locking on mine. They conveyed such emotion, those eyes, and I knew with certainty that this was about more than the physical for him as well. He bent lower, and I felt warm air tickling my skin. He lowered his mouth and began to lap at the dampness he had induced.

The fluttering sensation expanded and spread through my body causing me to writhe beneath him. His hands held my hips as he increased his pace, twirling and flicking his tongue. My hips began to buck and I felt the last remnants of my control flee. "Luke," I cried out, squirming and twisting as he continued his relentless mission. "Oh, God. Luuuuuuke." Wave after wave of pleasure washed over me and it was several minutes before I emerged from the fog, breathless and relaxed.

Luke grinned mischievously, taking his sweet time as he licked his way up my abdomen, swirling his tongue over my belly button. He reached my breasts and again he took his time, driving me to the point of insanity with his gentle nibbling, twisting and pulling. My impatience to finally feel him inside of me grew and I arched my back, using the leverage to flip us. Luke looked up at me in surprise, his eyelids heavy with unspent passion.

I sat on my knees, unable to resist running my hands over his chest again. I was awed by the way he exuded strength and safety. He really was the one I'd been waiting for all these years. _Why the hell did I wait so long? _I berated myself silently, finding his lips. His tongue prodded for entrance and I yielded immediately, sighing contentedly. The evidence of his readiness pressed against me as the kiss built in intensity. I shifted my hips, positioning myself over his shaft. I eased myself down gradually, enjoying the sensation of my body adjusting to his girth. Luke moaned into my mouth as I began to move, my walls caressing his shaft with every movement. His hips began to move in time with mine, each thrust more urgent than the last.

He grasped my ass tightly and I ground against him, each of us moaning at the friction it created. Luke flipped us again, devouring me with his hungry kisses as he plunged into me over and over again. He made me feel so full, so complete. It was unlike anything I'd experienced before and I never wanted it to stop. I moaned, my pleasure building with every stroke, every grind. I tried to maintain control, not ready for this to end. I attempted to distract myself by concentrating on his kisses. I drew his bottom lip into my mouth, grazing it with my teeth just as his hand slid between us and began to circle my clit. I cried out, digging my nails into his back as my third orgasm of the night began to rip through my body.

I felt my walls tense and pulsate around his shaft as the surge of sensations engulfed me. I heard Luke call my name as he plummeted after me. Together we fell into the blissful abyss, panting and clinging to each other as we slowly returned to earth. We rolled to our sides and lay there, staring at each other adoringly as we regained our equilibrium. He smiled at me, his eyes shining brightly. _God, he was sexy. _I kissed him lightly, and shifted so I could rest my head on his chest. I could hear his heart beating rapidly, not unlike my own.

"Can you stay?" I asked, hoping that he could. I wanted to fall asleep in his arms, and wake up with him next to me in the morning.

He kissed the top of my head. "Yes, I can stay."

I let my eyes droop, suddenly exhausted. "Good, 'cause I could get used to this."

He laughed. "I'm glad, because I plan on sticking around for a long, long time."

"You promise?" I yawned sleepily as I nuzzled against his chest.

"I promise," he whispered, pulling the covers up and holding me in his arms.

I felt myself drift off to sleep, feeling content, safe and loved.

_FIN_


End file.
